Pacific Park marks 30 years on the Santa Monica Pier with birthday light show

By AI, Created 2:40 PM UTC, May 24, 2026, /AGP/ – Pacific Park is celebrating its 30th anniversary on May 26, 2026 with a birthday-themed Ferris wheel light show and community events on the Santa Monica Pier. The milestone highlights the park’s role in restoring amusement to the Pier and drawing millions of visitors over three decades.

Why it matters: - Pacific Park’s 30th anniversary underscores how the Santa Monica Pier evolved back into a major seaside entertainment and community destination. - The milestone also signals continued investment in attractions, guest experiences and community partnerships as the park looks to the next generation of visitors.

What happened: - Pacific Park celebrated its 30th anniversary on May 26, 2026 on the Santa Monica Pier in Santa Monica, California. - The park marked the day with a birthday-themed lighting display on the Pacific Wheel, including “Happy Birthday,” 30th anniversary messaging, a birthday cake image and a 30th Birthday light show. - The light show illuminated the night sky 40 feet above the Pacific Ocean. - CEO Jeff Klocke said, “Thirty years ago today, Pacific Park brought amusement back to the Santa Monica Pier.” - Klocke also said Pacific Park is “a reflection of the community that saved this Pier and continues to shape its future.”

The details: - Pacific Park opened on May 26, 1996 as the first amusement park on the Santa Monica Pier since the 1930s. - The anniversary capped a multi-day celebration that began with Santa Monica Pier Locals’ Night on May 21. - The celebration continued with the release of “Sp30tlights: 30 Years of Pacific Park,” a three-part series on the park’s history. - Since opening, Pacific Park has served more than 12 million annual visitors on the Santa Monica Pier. - The park says it has delivered nearly 100 million rides across 12 classic boardwalk attractions. - The solar-powered Ferris wheel has welcomed more than 14 million riders. - Food and drink totals include more than 4,511,362 scoops of ice cream, 4,149,960 cups of coffee, 3,639,894 funnel cakes, 1,811,620 churros and more than 530,725 pieces of cotton candy. - Pacific Park now offers 12 rides, 14 midway games, Snackville oceanfront dining and beachside retail. - The Pacific Wheel is the world’s only solar-powered Ferris wheel. - Pacific Park is open daily on the Santa Monica Pier. - More information is available through the park’s website, Facebook, Instagram and X.

Between the lines: - The anniversary messaging ties the park’s current brand to the Pier’s preservation story, positioning Pacific Park as both an entertainment venue and a symbol of local community effort. - The emphasis on ride counts, food totals and the solar-powered wheel highlights scale and novelty, which can help reinforce Pacific Park’s tourist appeal.

What’s next: - Pacific Park plans continued investment in new attractions, guest experiences and community partnerships. - The park will keep operating daily on the Santa Monica Pier.

The bottom line: - Pacific Park is using its 30th anniversary to celebrate its past, reinforce its role on the Pier and signal more changes ahead.